[Unperson-SN]

In early 30's aviation design bureau, lead by K.A.Kalinin, was a well set team capable to solve absolutely new unexpected problems in aircraft design.

Original aircraft design was whole-wood with a 5-spar wing. But it suffered of luck of strength resource, and after long debates K.A.Kalinin decided to switch to whole-metal welded construction with 3-spar wing.

The K-7 was a gigantic elliptical wing of extremely thick airfoil (span 53m, area 452m2) with two triangle section tailbooms, carrying tailfin and tailplane with control mechanics.

Elliptical consoles with 14 fuel tanks were attached to the centroplane. The center was covered with duralumin, consoles with fabric.

I didn't even know this existed! Thats incredible its fricken huge and I used to think the Antonov 225 was big...at first I thought it had to be modern but apparently this was built in 1935? I figured maybe its some near-oribtal Stalin WW3 command center but apparently it wasn't.

[Thunderhawk]

Got a link to stats?

[Ombrageux]

Could the thing fly?

You gotta love Soviet technocracy and architecture.

[Unperson-SN]

Could the thing fly?

http://www.pilotfriend.com/photo_albums/potty/8.htm

Looks like theres a few different versions but that one seems to work.


http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/misc/ram/k7giant.html
http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/misc/ram/k-7.html

There are some sites with stats and all that.